With academies closed, arrival of needed rookie cops is on hold

By Charles Keeshan and Susan Sarkauskas

copsandcrime@dailyherald.com

Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora had hoped to have a new police officer working for him by now.

That's been delayed, like everything else it seems, by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Classes at the Illinois State Police Academy and the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy were shut down mid-session in March. That's leaving departments across the suburbs and state - many already dealing with manpower shortages - facing postponed arrivals of much-needed reinforcements.

James Volpe, director of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, said the DuPage County-based academy was in Week 10 of the 14-week basic training course when doors closed March 20.

All 59 recruits in the class have used the time at home to complete about two weeks of classroom training online, he said. But they still need some on-site instruction, including in emergency driving and learning how to use pepper spray.

State police closed their academy March 13, Sgt. Delila Garcia said, disrupting classes for 162 cadets.

However, some training has continued in different ways.

"Due to the need for additional troopers, as well as other officers throughout the state, the ISP opted to continue training programs with these cadets and recruits remotely while remaining in compliance with all social distancing guidelines," Garcia said.

Some have focused on web-based courses, while others have been able to learn emergency vehicle operations and undergo firearms training, all while keeping physically distant from fellow cadets and instructors.

"Unprecedented times call for innovative responses," Garcia said.

New cops needed

Nationwide stats show why local police departments are eager for new officers, A federal study released in 2018 showed there are fewer police officers per capita in the U.S. now than at any other time in at least the past two decades. And in Illinois, state police reported last year that their staff is down about 20% from where it was 20 years ago.

In the meantime, some recruits who've completed firearms training are being allowed to begin their field training work with the departments that have hired them. Others are taking on tasks such as manning front desks or booking arrestees.

Sikora's recruit is among those in field training.

"It (the closure) may still delay his getting out in to a patrol car on his own by a little while, but we are trying to minimize that the best we can," Sikora said.

The suburban academy was supposed to start another session March 30, but that's also been postponed. Two Lisle recruits were due to be in that class.

"We are in the midst of a three-year period of multiple retirements, so we will need to fill those positions with new officers," Lisle Chief Ron Wilke said.

Rosemont mourns loss

The coronavirus pandemic hit home this week for members of the Rosemont Public Safety Department.

Auxiliary Corporal Mario Araujo, 49, died Tuesday night after what Public Safety Director Donald Stephens III described as a "long and fierce battle" with the coronavirus.

"We are praying for Mario's loved ones during this sad time," Stephens III said via Twitter.

Araujo also was a 16-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, spending most of his career manning Truck 25 on the city's far North Side.

"This tragic loss underscores the seriousness that we face as a city and a nation," Fire Commissioner Richard Ford said in a statement. "CFD members put themselves in harm's way without hesitation to selflessly uphold the oath they took to be there for every person they encounter during an emergency situation. Firefighter Araujo's service will never be forgotten."

DuPage jail virus-free

While the Cook County jail has been called the largest known source of coronavirus in the U.S., with more than 350 cases as of this week, the jail for the state's second-largest county - DuPage - has yet to have a single infection.

How are they doing it?

Sheriff James Mendrick said Thursday there are several factors at play, ranging from early planning (discussions began back in January) to a long list of new policies and procedures aimed at keeping employees and incarcerated people safe.

Among them:

• Inmates who could be safely released on a warrant or individual bond were let out, reducing the jail's population from 530 to 369.

• All employees, contractors and other workers have their temperature checked before entering, and new inmates receive a medical screening. All employees must wear a face mask during their shifts.

• Incoming arrestees with symptoms or otherwise at risk are isolated/quarantined for 15 days.

• The jail's Work Training Program Janitorial team has been transformed into a contagion reduction team that focuses on cleaning touch surfaces and areas housing inmates who may have compromised immune systems.

"While we realize it is unlikely we will forever be able to hold the pandemic at bay, we are very proud of our efforts to date," Mendrick said.

• Have a question, tip or comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.